


Powers and Parents: The Chronicles of a Teenager

by ashryvergrace



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:48:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21905473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashryvergrace/pseuds/ashryvergrace
Summary: Four kids with the same power in a world where 30% of the population have powers. Their power? The ability to replicate and use other people's powers.Based around the idea of a chat room, they all know they have the same power, but they don't know each other's real identities. There may be spoilers for certain films or TV shows, but I will post warnings in the individual chapter summaries.
Kudos: 2





	1. Queer

**Author's Note:**

> Grace: @helpimanintrovertedaroace, an aromantic, asexual 16-year-old female who does not want more powers but whose parents keep sending her into the city.
> 
> Hannah: @thebikidwithhelicopterparents, a bisexual 17-year-old female who desperately wants more powers but whose parents don't let her out.
> 
> Magnus: @rainbowsandunicorns, a pansexual 16-year-old male who doesn't want more powers and whose parents are slightly clingy and overprotective.
> 
> Riley: @iamtheblackholeofpower, an asexual, panromantic, genderfluid (mostly she/her) 17-year-old who wants more powers and whose parents also want her to have more abilities.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Hey, you around?

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Yeah, what’s up?

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Nothing. I’m online at the library. My mum kicked me out and told me to go make friends. And by go make friends, she meant go get more powers. So of course, I’m like, uh… no thanks? 

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: I wish my parents would let me go out and meet people.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: I hate it. Walked in here earlier, went to the front desk to ask if they had anything for me, turned out I’d picked up invisibility on the way over. Come on, I mean it’s like two blocks.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: I know, right? How many powers am I likely to pick up in two blocks?

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: One, two at most.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Right?! And apparently, it’s too dangerous. You know, they got me bodyguards? Plural. So now if I meet anyone, it is through a wall of muscles.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Ouch. Honestly, if I could give the invisibility to you I would.

 _@rainbowsandunicorns_ has entered the chat

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Hey, what’s up?

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: How’s life?

@rainbowsandunicorns: Nothing and normal.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Sorry about that. Sounds dull.

@rainbowsandunicorns: God yes, somebody save me.

 _@iamtheblackholeofpower_ has entered the chat

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Anyone in Florida just now? I'm on holiday. Wondered if you guys wanted to meet up?

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Nah. I'm LA.

@rainbowsandunicorns: NYC.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: London. Sorry.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: It's fine. Honestly, kinda bored. But I came out to my parents yesterday and it went not terribly.

@rainbowsandunicorns: Congrats. Honestly still waiting for the right moment.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Yeah, well done. My parents did not take it well. All my mom can think about is how she's not getting grandkids. I mean, even if I end up with a dude, it's not like I plan on having kids of my own anyway.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: That is such a mood. Tried coming out to my mum and she was all _'That's not a real thing. You've just not found the right man yet.'_ So apparently, I don't exist.

@rainbowsandunicorns: Ow. Physically felt that. But let me get this straight...

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Why? None of us are.


	2. Vigilante

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Spoilers for the Arrowverse Crossover.

@rainbowsandunicorns: Hey, you guys free?

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Yah, what up?

@rainbowsandunicorns: Nothing. Caught up on the crossover.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Arrowverse?

@rainbowsandunicorns: Uh huh. So good.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Noice. You see Luci?

@rainbowsandunicorns: _*incoherant screeching*_ YES!!!

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Nearly died.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: I so want to do stuff like that.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: What, be a superhero? Or a vigilante?

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Yeah. You know, one of my bodyguards picked up levitation today.

@rainbowsandunicorns: Yeah? What'd your parents say?

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Just that I should be grateful I hadn't caught it. As if it were a disease. God I'm so bored. Honestly cannot stand much more of this.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Know the feeling. Mum dropped me outside the palace yesterday. And of course, the guards all have powers. Woke up this morning to bed sheets made of ice.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Oh. Sorry, that sounds horrible.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: I'm just hoping that if I don't use them, they might go away.

@rainbowsandunicorns: Maybe. First power I picked up after I'd manifested - fire. Never used it since and like a month ago I went looking for it and it was gone. 

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Thank god. Still, there won't be much point if my mum keeps sending me out.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Hey, I had a thought. Don't suppose you know who you picked invisibility up off of?

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: No sorry. Besides. I'm in London. Not sure how that will help you in LA.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Yeah, nvm.

@rainbowsandunicorns: Do you know what would have been better? If we'd gotten to choose our powers. Then we wouldn't have this crap going on. Only two days ago, this kid at school pushed me into a locker, called me a name which I do not care to repeat and then broke my school bag. Got home to discover he has powers and managed to give me water-bending. Like, what the hell?

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Me too. Except mine was actually a normy. Guess the world is just screwed up.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Maybe you should become a vigilante. Try save it a little.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Yeah. Maybe I should.


	3. Shifting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A monologue by @helpimanintrovertedaroace

Hey. Anyone around?

Actually nvm. It’s only 9am here so it’s probably really late over there.

Still, I’m gonna rant anyway. My miniscule group of friends is down to one. Yana is really bitter cos she didn’t get powers. Idk why but for some reason she’s blaming me. It’s not like I control who gets powers and who doesn’t, otherwise I’d make sure everyone got to choose. Laena is still around though, but she got powers too, so it’s not like we’re too different. On one hand, I’m glad that she’s pissed at Yana, but on the other hand, I kind of wish we could all just get along.

Oh and my little sister has just turned fourteen, but she doesn’t have powers either. I looked into it and apparently the gene for developing powers comes from the father’s side. Even if I don’t talk to him, I am a hell of a lot more like him than I care to admit. Hannah is just a lot more like our mum, I guess. Still, now I’ve got her at home and Yana at school who are pissed off by my very presence.

And mum just keeps telling me to ignore them, but she doesn’t understand. Neither of my parents manifested powers (though my father must have had the gene) so she doesn’t really understand. I picked up shapeshifter a week ago and I haven’t been into school since because I can’t control it yet. And my shift is a tiger so I can’t really just be let out in public. Plus, my whole body is aching because of the constant shifting. My bones are breaking and healing so fast that I can barely move. I haven’t shifted in twenty minutes, so I thought I’d talk to you guys, but I can feel it coming. My bedroom is wrecked too, and mum said she’ll lock me in the basement if I don’t get control. I told her I need to see a doctor, or a scientist, or anyone who can help, but she just told me to get it under control.

Crap. The shifting is back. Talk later.


	4. The Benefits of Good Friends

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Anyone heard from _@helpimanintrovertedaroace_?

@rainbowsandunicorns: Not since the 22nd. Why?

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Nothing. Just worried. She didn’t sound like she was in a good place.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Yeah, me too. Can’t imagine how painful that must be, shifting constantly without a break.

@rainbowsandunicorns: I picked up shifting, but my form is a rabbit, and she’s shy.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: I’m confused. Aren’t your shifted forms the same as you?

@rainbowsandunicorns: No. Generally, they are the opposite gender and have their own personalities. We can talk inside my head though.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Yeah, I read that too somewhere. Can’t they take over whenever they want?

@rainbowsandunicorns: They can, but most don’t. Generally, there is a mutual agreement about the terms and conditions under which the shifted form is allowed out. But with _@helpimanintrovertedaroace_ , if she’s got a tiger, that’s gonna be a lot harder than it sounds, especially since the shifted form is likely to be male.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Why is it worse if it's male?

@rainbowsandunicorns: Because in male tigers, the strongest instinct is to mate, and sometimes, the shifted form's mental activity can disrupt or override the human’s. She might be aroace, but her shifted form will definitely not be. She needs to take control back off him before he will submit to her.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: That doesn’t sound too hard.

@rainbowsandunicorns: Have you ever tried confronting a live, uncaged tiger? I certainly haven’t, and I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to do so in the future. 

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Fair enough. I’m going to do some research, see if I can find someone who might be able to help.

@rainbowsandunicorns: The sooner the better. A lot of shifted forms can forget that their host needs to sleep because they’re new and excited about existing. She might not have slept for days.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: There’s a pureblood shifter scientist in London – Dr. Henry Martin – might he be of some use?

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Sounds good. I’ll ping him an email.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: How does this sound?

_To Dr. Henry Martin,_

_I am emailing on behalf of an internet friend of mine (her handle is @helpimanintrovertedaroace, but we don’t know her real name). We share a group chat for people with the same ability – power replication – and she put a post on there on the 22nd of September about having picked up shifting. Her shifted form is a tiger and she’s been fighting it, but we are concerned about her wellbeing as we know that she had been shifting continuously for about a week before that. If you have any insight about how she can deal with or get rid of this, please, please email back as soon as you have a chance._

_Regards, Riley (@iamtheblackholeofpower)_

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Perfect.

@rainbowsandunicorns: Yeah, it’s good, send it.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: It’s sent.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Now we wait and hope.


	5. Comic Con and the Cure?

_Dear Riley,_

_Thank you for your email regarding your friend. My team has been working on an experimental pill which suppresses shifting power, however, at the current time, human trials have been inconclusive other than proving addictiveness. However, I have contacted a few groups of fellow scientists who are working on various other methods which may help your friend. They have all gotten good results with their research and are keen to help, but I have no guarantees on the speed or longevity of their techniques. I hope this is of some help._

_Regards, Dr. Henry Martin_

@rainbowsandunicorns: He got back to you then.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Yah. Idk whether they’ve done anything yet, but at least the wheels are in motion.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Hey, so this is a random question, but are you guys going to San Diego Comic Con?

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Oh definitely. Just need to book tickets and start my costume. Why?

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Because I am dying to go but my parents will so definitely not let me out of the house for it. I mean, it’s a couple hours drive. It’s not like I’d be flying halfway across the world.

@rainbowsandunicorns: Yeah, I kind of wanna go, but my mom’s clingy and she said I would only be allowed if I took a friend. I did point out that I wouldn’t go without a friend anyway and she seemed relatively chill about it – for her. So probably, I just need to find a similarly nerdy friend to go with.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: In any case, the tickets for this year are all sold out.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Yeah. I was just wondering if you guys wanted to meet up with me when we do go.

@rainbowsandunicorns: I’m in.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Me too.

_@helpimanintrovertedaroace_ has entered the chat

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Hey, you okay? We were worried.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Yeah, better now, kind of. You emailed scientists for me?

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Like she said, we were worried.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Thank you guys. Honestly. 

@rainbowsandunicorns: I’m sure you’d do the same for us.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: They’re helping now. My mum signed a bunch of paperwork and admitted me to their clinic thing. They gave me a shot like half an hour ago and so far, the shifting has stopped, so that’s good.

@rainbowsandunicorns: Don’t suppose they’ve invented a multi-purpose cure?

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: No. They were explaining the science to me yesterday – when I was in human form. Apparently different abilities affect different parts of the brain and anatomy, so there isn’t a blanket solution. They said that even in shifters, it's different because the shift is caused by different emotions for each person. And they’re only working on shifting at the minute anyway. Besides, our power is different because it affects all of our brain and anatomy, not just specific parts. 

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Seriously? All of it? I never noticed anything different.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: It kinda makes sense if you think about it.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Yeah, otherwise we would only be able to absorb specific powers of a certain genre.

@rainbowsandunicorns: Still sucks. Anyway, I’ve gotta go, mom’s nagging me about homework and I have a test to revise for tomorrow.

_@rainbowsandunicorns_ has left the chat.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Yeah, I should probably go too. Sorry we couldn’t chat longer.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Bye. I should log off as well, It’s nearly midnight here.

_@iamtheblackholeofpower_ has left the chat.

_@helpimanintrovertedaroace_ has left the chat.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Bye then.

_@thebikidwithhelicopterparents_ has left the chat.


	6. The Government Sucks

@rainbowsandunicorns: I am so definitely not supposed to be online right now, but hey, it’s a pointless class and I’m bored. Anyone with me?

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: I mean, I agree that school is pointless, but I’m currently stuck in a lab so no, not really. Besides, my school kicked me out when I picked up shifting.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Seriously?! I thought they’d put legislation in place to make that illegal.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: They did. But then they retracted it because there was an attack. It was all over the news. A fourteen-year-old who couldn't control his powers, shifted into a leopard and killed nine people before the police shot him. He died in hospital only a few hours later. There was a vote in parliament today about whether or not we should have the right to live in the same communities. It passed.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: What does that mean?

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: They haven’t really given specifics just yet and it’s not due to come into effect for another month or so, but as far as we’re aware, it means that kids with powers will be taken away at 14 when they manifest and put into a ‘containment facility’. 

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Like a prison? That’s messed up.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: We’re not the first. Australia, Japan, South Africa, China, they’ve all done it. And I know it was being talked about over there, just not acted upon yet. People are scared.

@rainbowsandunicorns: It isn’t fair that they’re taking it out on us though.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: No, but that’s life.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Ugh, god I hate it when people say that. Just because it’s unfair doesn’t mean we should just roll over and accept it.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Then what do you suggest we do? If we act out, we’re just furthering their cause.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: I know. But if we do nothing… I don’t wanna imagine. Maybe now would be a really good time to become a vigilante.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Perhaps, but if things go wrong, you could end up worse off than most of us. We’re already worse off.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: How’s that?

@rainbowsandunicorns: The power scale? 

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Yeah. It rates abilities depending on their strength or use. We come in at 11. It only goes up to 10. If America does start imprisoning people like us, then you’re screwed.

@rainbowsandunicorns: When we manifest our names get put into the database. So we can’t even hide, not without going completely off the grid. And if we're top of their list, then they'll stop at nothing to catch us, even if it means putting our families in danger.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: This can’t be legal, right? I mean, there are like a million human rights acts.

@rainbowsandunicorns: I doubt it. But it’s not like we get to make the rules. And I've just had another thought. If our government does start imprisoning us, then we won’t be able to talk on here anymore. They can track us through this chat.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: I picked up cyber control the other day. I can encrypt the chat so we’re safe. But I still think we should put an ‘End of the World’ protocol in place. I can make an app with this chat in it. You guys could get it off the internet and download it onto your phones. 

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: I'm up for it.

@rainbowsandunicorns: Me too.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Same.

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Good. I'll start working on that. 

@rainbowsandunicorns: Crap. Gotta go. Teacher's coming.

 _@rainbowsandunicorns_ has left left the chat.

@helpimanintrovertedaroace: Yeah, I've got to go too. They want to run more tests.

 _@helpimanintrovertedaroace_ has left left the chat.

@thebikidwithhelicopterparents: Guess we'll talk later then?

@iamtheblackholeofpower: Apparently.

 _@thebikidwithhelicopterparents_ has left left the chat.

 _@iamtheblackholeofpower_ has left left the chat.


End file.
